Blizzard Cleanup Costs Come in Under Budget

The record-setting blizzard that pummeled Darien last week came with a hefty price tag—but it wasn’t nearly as costly as city officials expected it to be.

Darien spent about $27,000 over the three-day period during and after the storm, Director Dan Gombac said during Monday night’s meeting. Originally, he said the city estimated the storm would cost Darien about $50,000.

The $27,000 price tag includes overtime pay for plow crews, as well as fees paid to outside vendors brought in to help clear the snow. Assistant City Administrator Scott Coren said Darien would apply for federal relief funds to help subsidize the costs. 

Some of the contractors were brought in because the City of Chicago commandeered two of Darien’s end loaders—devices used for clearing away snow—for its own snow removal efforts, Gombac said.

Cleanup will continue around Darien throughout the week. About 65 percent of Darien’s sidewalks were clear as of Monday afternoon, Gombac said. He pointed to an area by the McDonalds at the intersection of Plainfield Road and 75th Street as a particular challenge because there’s nowhere to put that snow. Since DuPage County is responsible for clearing both Plainfield and 75th, Gombac said the city would work with it on a plan.

Roughly 500 of the city’s 1,600 fire hydrants were also still either partially fully or partially buried as of Monday, he said. 

If a resident’s mailbox was damaged by a snowplow during or after the storm, Gombac said the city will provide a temporary replacement. The city will also pay up to $65 for a permanent replacement or provide through a city program a mailbox that is designed to sustain significant snowfall.